Whipstock deflecting tool



Maych 2, 1943. E. .1.. LE- Bus WHIPSTOCK DEFLEGTINQ TOOL Filed June 28, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fra/ri L. L bus Mamh 2 F. L. I E Bus WHILPSTOCK DEFLECTING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Ju'ne 28, 1941 T'E-E if' i E? E n me L. zum

Patented Mar. 2, 1943 'if' F lv C E- vThis inventionerelate's to oil Well tools used in deep Wells and it has particular reference to an oil Well tool commonly known-in the oil industry as a? Whipstock. The whipstock is for the purpose ofl delecting a milling toolinto the wall of a well casingwhich has been set in a deep well, the milling tool being used for boring an opening in the casing wall for purposes well known to those familiar to oil eld operation.

It is often the case that a deiiecting tool is-set in a well casing in a well in such a position that the milling tool will cut into a casing coupling or collar which joins pipe sections, thus causing the casing to become separated at-this point,

It is therefore the general object of this-invention to provide a deilectingtool which can be set at a predetermined point with a positive means for so setting the tool at this poi-nt;

Another object of the invention is the provision of a Whipstock which can be set at a predetermined point with a positive means for millingf an opening or hole in the casing of the well ata certain position relative to the collar or casing connection.

With the above and-other objects in View, the invention will be clearly understood from a perusal of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a section of well casing showing the whipstock or deflecting tool and the setting tool; the parts being partly sectioned;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the upper portion of Figure l, also partly sectioned;

Figure 3 is a.view similar to that of Figure 2, but showing the lower portion of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View through a section of well casing showing the milling tool in set milling position, the setting tool having been removed;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through a section of well casing and illustrating a modication of the invention embodied therein, the parts being partly sectioned;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the whipstock per se, showing the same in a set milling position; and

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional View through a section of well casing, showing the whipstock in a set milling position.

Reference being now had to the drawings in detail, in Figure 1, the letter A indicates a well casing, thev sections of pipe` being connectedin the customary manner by the-couplings-creol# lars Al. G represents'thelower or connecting end of an operating string ofl pipe which is' threadedly connected toa setting tool, indicated at B: The settingtool is hollow and includes aV guide'spring Bf-I which bears against the inner walls of the casing A, and -in-it'svlower end isA an" adjusting element B--2. Thev device also includes a slip D which is riveted as at D'-2 to the lower end of a rod B-3 by the ears D-l, in set.-

ting the slip to desired position; The setting-:tookl B is riveted as at B-4 to a whipstock body Cfand which is used forthe purpose of deflecting'' a milling element J, Figure 4, the milling element,- when rotated by the operating or drilling stem or string of pipe, cutting an opening in the cas-v ing walls at the desired` predetermined point'.

The whipstock body is hard-,faced and tapered ai; C-Z and includesV a key-way indicated atv C-EI` through which the rod B-3 operates. The lower end of the whipstock body includes a plurality oi" teeth indicated at C-l, so as to provide a gri-pe' ping effect against the'well'casing. to prevent the whipstock from rotating .while the milling operas tion is being done. A seat C-' is made in the lower end of the whipstock and the walls C-5 leading to the seat are tapered so that When the slip is pulled upwardly, as will be explained hereinafter, the slip is urged against the wall of the casing as shown in Figure 4, and the teeth D3 grip the wall of the casing. A plunger rod F,

under spring tension E holds the slip in its gripping position.

Welded to the upper end of the whipstock body is a spring trip indicated at C-'l which will readily slip by the ends of the pipe sections of the casing at the joint formed by the collars B-5, but will, when an upward pull is made on the setting tool B, catch on the end of a pipe section as shown in the drawings and thus hold the whipstock in the desired position, while shearing oi the rivet B-4 and likewise the rivet D-Z.

In Figures 5 to 8 inclusive, are shown a modification of the invention wherein the whipstock body C has a key-way indicated at H disposed in the whipstook body opposite the tapered portion C-2 and along the straight side thereof as shown in Figures 5 and 8. In this key-Way is a rod I for the same purpose as the rod B-3 is Figures 1 and 2. This rod is connected to the slip D at the point DLS and is also connected to the setting tool B at the point B-B, and passes from the setting tool B through a slot C-G into the key-way 8,

B is threadedly Aengaged with the string of drill pipe indicated at G and lowered into a well inside the casing A. The spring trip C-5 on its downward passage will readily slip by the ends of the casing until the desired depth is reached, and the rod B-3 or I will hold the slip downward. On being pulled upwardly, however, the end of the spring trip will catch against'the end of a pipe length at the collar connection C-5 and the rivet B4 will be sheared off. A continued upward pull of the setting tool by the operating string of pipe will then raise the slip D against the wall of the casing, to the predeterminedrposition and when the slip has reached this position, the rivet D-2 or in the modified form the rivet D-'5 will be sheared off and the setting tool removed. The slip is held in this elevated position, by the actuation of the plunger F under tensionof the spring E and thus the whipstock is in position for the lowering of the milling element J. The milling element is then attached to the operatin-g string and lowered into the well, and on striking the tapered portion C-2 of the whipstock, is forced against the wall of the casing at a milling point shown in Figures 4 and 8, ready for cutting or milling an opening in the Vwall ofthe Well casing.

I It will be apparent that by this arrangement the danger of the milling tool cutting the casing at an undesired point is eliminated, as the device can be set and adjusted to proper and predetermined cutting point before lowering it into a well by manipulation of the nut or adjusting element B-2, and placing the shear rivets B-4, D-2 and D-ii in position. Since the spring trip C-l will always catch against the bottom 'end of the pipe length the exact cutting point is determined beforehand. The teeth D-3 in the slip D thus hold the whipstock in position and the teeth C-l prevent the same from rotating as these teeth bear against the wall of the casing.

While the disclosure presents a practical working embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that further modifications and alterations are capable of being made, such as would be Within the scope and intention of the invention and as set out in the appended claims herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A whipst-ock deecting tool for oil wells employing a milling element, said whipstock comprising a taper-faced body, the upper part of the body terminating into a resilient trip to bear against the inner walls of a well casing and designed to catch between the ends of casing sections, the lower part of the body having annular teeth to bear against the inner walls of said casing to prevent rotation of the body, a key-way in the taper-faced body, a rod slidably arranged in the key-way, a slip on the lower end of the rod, a nut on the upper end of the rod, means for adjustably connecting the upper end of the rcd to a tubular element threadedly engaged to a string of well tubing, and shear rivets for temporarily connecting the taper-faced body to the tubular element and for similarly connecting the lower end of the rod to the slip.

2. A whipstock as claimed in claim l, the tapered face of the body designed to guide a milling tool against the inner walls of a well casing to be cut, said body also including a seat for the slip in its inoperative position and a tapered wall above the seat for directing the slip to operative position against the inner walls of a well casing, and a sprin-g and plunger for moving the slip to operative position.

3. A whipstock as claimed in claim 1, said means for adjustably connecting the whipstock to a well tubing consisting of a hollow tubular member threaded at both ends, a threaded nut on the upper end of said rod, one end of said nut receivable in said tubular member, and shear rivets temporarily connecting the trip end of the taper-faced body to the tubular member and for similarly connecting said slip to the lower en-d of the rod, said shear rivets being sheared oi when the tool is pulled upwardly after the trip has caught between ends of adjacent well casing lengths. V

FRANK L. LE BUS` 

